afraid
by midnight-dreams-and-things
Summary: "Maybe for a second or two, I was scared. But not of you. Because the Nick Wilde I know would never do anything to hurt me, not intentionally." Or, my take on if Nick had really gone savage. Wildehopps one shot.


_**After watching this movie several times and becoming obsessed with it (and WildeHopps), I decided to write a one shot. I'm sure that this idea has been done before (if not, glad to be the first!), but I wanted to put my spin on it. Enjoy :)  
**_

* * *

Nick's eyes were beginning to change colors.

Nose twitching in fear, Judy's next intake of breath got lodged in her throat. This wasn't part of the plan. She scurried further away, only to find that she'd run out of space and was now seconds away from her life ending prematurely.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

Her brain scrambled to make sense of the situation. Had switching the serum with blueberries not worked? Had Bellwether found out and switched them back, or worse yet was using a different weapon? She didn't know, didn't have time to find out before Nick lunged for her, teeth bared and eyes hungry for blood.

Judy screamed and jutted out her paw swiftly, clutching Nick's muzzle tightly before he could strike. Breathing becoming increasingly erratic, the bunny knew her weight wouldn't be able to hold up long enough and once she let go, it was either die or escape death until help arrived. If it ever would. Knowing Bellwether, the bunny wasn't willing to take any chances.

"Nick, it's me — Carrots." Her voice trembled slightly as she stared at her friend, a shadow of the sly fox that had come to mean something to her in a relatively short amount of time. "You can fight this, Nick, I know you can. Don't give in, don't let them see—"

A shrill laugh cut off Judy's pleas to the red fox. "Oh come _on_ , do you really think he knows what you're saying, Judy? It's too late. After all, aren't all predators _biologically_ wired this way? It was only a matter of time."

Judy ignored the crazed sheep's words, inhaling sharply before finally releasing Nick's muzzle. He dove forward and Judy was able to roll away, barely escaping unscathed. Next time, she likely wouldn't be as lucky and that's what terrified her the most. Was this how her life was destined to end?

The bunny certainly tried, but she couldn't avoid a flesh hungry predator in a small, cramped space for too much longer. A picture of Gideon Gray flashed across the canvas of Judy's imagination once Nick's sharp claws raked across her cheek, this time drawling blood. She screamed, fending off the blows as best she could—but after a few minutes, the pain became too much for her to handle.

Judy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise, trying to dredge up a memory of Nick that was pleasant, and force herself to realize that this was not the Nick Wilde she knew. Her Nick wouldn't dream of hurting her, not in a million years.

 _Wouldn't dream of it..._ She added again in her mind, desperately wishing what she knew to be true in her heart would also register in her conscience.

Vaguely, as she lay huddled into a ball, Judy remembered Nick asking if she was afraid of him. Truthfully, she hadn't been—until now.

She knew it was wrong, hated herself for even thinking it as the world around her gave way to fog, and then darkness.

* * *

When Nick awoke, everything was blurry. He felt dizzy, like he had too much to drink the previous night or Finnick had dragged him into a grand scheme that ended with an unceremonious punch to the jaw. _Where am I...?_

As the minutes ticked by, Nick's surroundings became less fuzzy the more he focused. He took several slow, deep breaths—and that's when he saw it: an all too familiar metallic device strapped onto his face. He'd been muzzled.

That God-awful night as a nine year-old rushed into his brain, and the fox could feel his eyes widening in horror. A muzzle could only mean one thing—somehow, he and Judy's plan to trap Bellwether had backfired. He'd gone savage, and...wait. **Judy**. Where was she?

" _Carrots!_ " Nick suddenly sprang up from the bed, alarmed. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if while under the influence of the Night Howlers, he'd attacked Judy, or worse. Possibly coming to terms with a reality such as that was not an option Nick Wilde wanted, or was going to, entertain.

"Mr. Wilde, please. Don't try to get up." Nick felt a paw on his arm pushing him back onto the hospital bed. Annoyed, he looked up at the nurse, a cheetah, scowling all the while. "Officer Hopps is in the next room being treated by some of the best staff we have. I promise."

Her tone was gentle, but Nick wasn't convinced. "I need to see her. What is she being treated for? What happened to her?" Upon seeing the nurse's expression shift to one of guilt, Nick felt dread creep into his stomach. "...What did _I_ do to her?"

"She...she sustained some serious injuries, Mr. Wilde. Once she's released from the ICU, and she's cleared for visitors, you'll be the first to know. You have my word."

Nick didn't want her word. He wanted to see Judy. The cute, strong-willed bunny who'd broken down his walls and wormed her way into his heart somehow. It was stupid, how he felt, shocking more than anything else. Nick hadn't had time to pinpoint it yet, but never being able to tell her? That was worse than being muzzled right about now.

"How long before she's released?" Nick leaned back into the pillows, the effects of whatever they'd been pumping into his system starting to take its toll. "And can you take this stupid thing off me? I'm not going to do anything to you."

"Of course, of course." The cheetah hurriedly removed the device from Nick's muzzle, and set it to the side. "To answer your question, I'm not exactly sure. It shouldn't be too much longer. She's definitely a fighter."

Didn't he know it. "The minute she wakes up, please..." His voice trailed off, feeling that she understood what he was getting at.

"I will, Mr. Wilde." She offered him a small, sympathetic smile before leaving the room.

* * *

Judy successfully made it out of the ICU and was resting comfortably a few doors down from Nick's room. When the doctors finally saw fit to release Nick, determining that he would no longer be a threat, he hurriedly changed back into his regular clothes and was escorted to the bunny's room by a doctor much shorter than him. Nervousness suddenly blanketed Nick; what sort of state would she be in? Was he prepared?

"Will she be awake when I go inside?" Nick questioned the otter, finally managing to find his voice.

"She's been drifting in and out of consciousness. I'd suggest waiting it out for a bit if she doesn't come to at first. Keep in mind, she still needs her rest." The otter stepped aside once they reached Judy's room.

"I won't be long." Nick replied, stepping inside. The rhythmic beep of the IV monitor sounded in his ears as he walked closer to the bed where Judy lay, sound asleep. Several bandages littered her face and arms. She looked almost angelic, even in her current state. It hurt Nick to think that he was the reason for all this.

Sucking in a deep breath, Nick took a seat on the stool that was a few feet away, scooting it directly beside the small bed. Judy didn't stir. He glanced at the television perched above them, ZNN recapping the arrest of Mayor Bellwether and her entire plot to put Zootopia in ruin. One of the reporters mentioned that the evidence which put Bellwether away came from the recording on Judy's pen. Nick half smiled, thankful that everything hadn't completely gone awry.

Once the news report shifted to Officer Hopps being attacked by a savage red fox, Nick grabbed the remote and shut the T.V. off. He could watch that later, wallow in self-pity in the comfort of his own home.

He sighed softly, redirecting his attention back to Judy. "Carrots?" Nick hesitantly reached out, gently covering her paw with his. "Carrots, can you hear me?"

Although the doctor had told him it might take a while for Judy to wake up, the fact that she hadn't yet still worried Nick. He wondered if he continued talking, would she wake up eventually? It was worth a shot. "This is such a huge mess, Carrots. If I could turn back time, I'd...well, I wouldn't have gone through with the plan in the first place. You didn't deserve this. Especially not from me."

The monitor continued to beep steadily.

"I'm not good with all this sentimental stuff, all I know is…" Nick swallowed to keep his emotions in check. Here he was, attempting to pour his heart out to his unconscious friend. When she woke up, there was no way he'd be repeating these words. "I can't lose you. I don't blame you if you're afraid of me after this settles down, but...just hold on, okay? You're strong, I've seen it with my own eyes." Nick gave her paw a gentle squeeze before releasing it, lowering his head dejectedly.

Nick lost track of how long he'd been sitting there until the doctor came in to check on Judy's vitals. Had it really been twenty minutes? "I take it she hasn't woken up yet."

"No," Nick breathed, shaking his head. "I guess this is the part when you tell me that I need to go so she can keep resting?"

Sadly, the otter nodded. "I've got a dozen other patients who need me, Mr. Wilde. But you can come back later or tomorrow, if you'd like."

Feeling like there was nothing else to do, Nick shrugged his agreement, finally standing and walking towards the door. He took one last glance over his shoulder at Judy, hoping she'd open those beautiful eyes of hers before he left. No such luck.

"I'll come back tomorrow, okay? Thanks, doc." Nick half smiled, shook the otter's paw, and stepped out into the hallway.

But that's when he heard it—Judy's voice, a little less chipper but still hers all the same—call out to him. "N-Nick, wait."

Slowly Nick turned around, much like he did when she apologized to him earlier that day, an endearing expression on his face. He pushed past the doctor and retook the stool, staring down at Judy fondly. _That's my girl._ "See, Carrots, this is what happens when you have too much to drink. You sleep for hours and hours...sometimes you don't even remember your own name."

Judy giggled softly at his attempt to lighten the somewhat somber mood, the sound like music to his ears. "Do you ever run out of witty remarks?"

"Nope." He gave her a sly grin. "What is it you wanted to say, Carrots?"

Judy's smile faded a little. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not afraid of you."

Nick felt the heat of embarrassment rise to his neck. "Oh, so you heard all that, huh?"

"Some of it," She admitted weakly. "Maybe for a second or two, I _was_ scared. But not of you. Because the Nick Wilde I know would never do anything to hurt me, not intentionally."

"You've got me there, fluff..." Nick glanced at her paw and held it gently, not giving the gesture a second thought. If Judy was surprised, she hid it well. "I'm just glad you're alright, Carrots. Really. Not sure what I'd do without you."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd manage." She said teasingly.

"Maybe," Nick said, nuzzling her cheek tenderly. "But that's something I don't wanna think about. Not right now."

* * *

 _ **Did this suck? I'm really nervous about it, seeing as it's my first one and all...let me know what you guys think. :)**_

 _ **Word count: 2,098. Excuse any and all typos!  
**_


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